AMIE INDIA Students Forum

[mandgm]

Designing is such a vast field that it is defined in several ways. Various definitions of designing as pronounced by well-known designers are
Design is that which defines solutions to problem which have previously been solved in a different way
Design is the conscious human process of planning physical things that display a new form in response to some pre-determined need.
Design is an act of collecting all pertinent information for the production of goods and services to meet some human need.
The design of any component includes two things,
(i) Product design
(ii) Process design
The product design involves the development of specification for a product that will be functionally sound, good in appearance, and will give satisfactory performance for an adequate life.
The process design involves developing methods of manufacture of the products so that the component can be produced at a reasonably low cost.

[hemlata]

Even though he claims we're getting past the definition problems in the field, Dick Buchanan offered us his formal definition of Design:

"Design is the human power to conceive, plan, and realize products that serve human beings in the accomplishment of any individual or collective purpose."
This a formal definition, meaning it is fairly rigorous and also fairly dry. There are other, descriptive definitions that are more lively: "Design is making things right." --Ralph Kaplan. "Design is the glimmer in God's eye." --Anonymous, etc.

Dick cautioned us that no definition is going to bring us closure on the big issues of design, however